Reading Borough Council will carry out a feasibility study with a view to making the plan a ‘demonstration project’ under the South East Centre of Excellence (SECE) scheme.

The projected cost of the new Civic Centre has not yet been announced, but the existing centre would need £24 million invested in it to make it last for another 30 years.

The council plans to make any new Civic Centre an energy-efficient and adaptable building for the town and is looking for cash to develop the idea.

The SECE scheme was set up by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to develop a number of demonstration building projects with local authorities.

It will test different ways to gather funding and develop a building of which townsfolk can be proud.

Deputy leader of the council Councillor Jo Lovelock told the cabinet on Monday: “This will be a good opportunity for the council to be part of the SECE process and it also brings some financial benefits to the council – bringing some funding we might not otherwise get.”

The project management costs for the scheme would be paid by the ODPM.

And the local authority will be working in partnership with Hampshire County Council which already has experience in working on an SECE project at its own headquarters in Winchester.

By working through the SECE, the council will be able to pass on the project management costs – which have been set at £500,000 this year – to the ODPM.

Planners are eyeing potential new sites for a council base, but it looks as if land in Hosier Street could be one of the preferred options.